In 1999 the AuPS Council identified a number of core areas of Special Interest and recruited a number of people around Australia to act as Co-ordinators. The role of these Special Interest Themes is envisaged to foster greater communication between researchers and educators within Australia.

The list of Special Interest Themes below is by no means exhaustive. Anyone wishing to establish a Special Interest Theme should contact the overall SIT coordinator, Matt Watt matthew.watt@med.monash.edu.au. In particular, Functional Genomics is an area that AuPS can act as a pivotal forum for the presentation and discussion of these essentially integrative physiological experiments.

Individual theme co-ordinators will be expected to:

• Propose innovative sessions, workshops or symposia for the AuPS annual meeting.
• Create and lead the discussion of interesting posters sessions at AuPS meetings
• Establish and encourage communications between like-thinking scientists and educators
• Encourage members of Special Interest Themes to attend the AuPS meeting
• Keep Council informed of any public or government developments in their fields of interest.